The weekend and then some

...time flies when you are having fun, and I have been having some.

A wine and cheese party given by one of the parents from Zeldas school kicked off the weekend on Friday night. I went by myself, but was certainly not lonely. The hosts were a very lovely couple who owned a most magnificent Victorian row house with high ceilings, roaring fireplaces, enormous rooms you could get lost in a lovely garden. One forgot that we were in the center of the city!

All the guests were parents and there must have been at least 75 people! The table was set with 20 different types of cheeses and wines of every color.  I wore my favorite Cop Copine Dress, it stood out and I received lots of compliments. I talked all night long to all kinds of people. Before I knew, it was almost midnight and I was one of maybe 5 people left. I finally took a cab home and crawled into bed around 1am!

Saturday was Zelda and I day. I took her to the kids club cinema at the Gala theater. We saw Gnomeo and Juliet. A funny animation based on Romeo and Juliet, but with garden gnomes. After we went for a drink and then walked home. Once home we played games the rest of the afternoon. For dinner Zelda and I made the best bolognaise sauce together.  We enjoyed it as a family.

Sunday was spent with extended family. We had tea at my brother in laws house. Zelda played with her two cousins and the adults congregated in the kitchen and talked. It felt really lovely. We went home around 6pm and put Zelda to sleep. It was the end to a perfect weekend.

Monday I began my work at the Baltic in Newcastle. I learned how to make a pin hole camera and develop film. The students we worked with were very nice. It is a great change to working with infants. I am really enjoying working with older students. My accent, which they seem to detect quite quickly and easily seems to make them at ease with me, giving them something to talk to me about.

In the evening, I made a valentines day salad...(beets, rocket, radish, dried cranberries, clementines, goat cheese)  dressed with a red chili dressing, smoked salmon bruschetta on Irish soada bread with capers and venison burgers. A bottle of Chianti to wash it all down.

Today, I had my second day at the Baltic. the group we worked with were year 10s and they were gifted and talented! I did not really notice that about them, but they were very nice, polite and thoughtful. The workshop went very well.

I picked Zelda up from Sunshine club and ran into our babysitter, who walked back home with us.

Right now Zelda is singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star to Ian playing the guitar. An absolutely perfect way to end the day!